Hua Dongdong, a swimmer from Ningbo, won gold in the Men's 50m Freestyle S11 of the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou on Oct 23. [Photo by Tang Yan for Ningbo Daily]

Hua Dongdong and Chen Yi, athletes from Ningbo, Zhejiang province, clinched two golds at the swimming competitions of the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou on Oct 23.

Hua set a new Asian Para Games record with a time of 26.01 seconds in the Men's 50m Freestyle S11 final, breaking the record he had set in the preliminaries on the same day. It is also the first gold medal that Ningbo athletes have won at this year’s Asian Para Games and is a great start to Hua's journey at the Games.

According to the classification of athletes with physical impairments, in para-swimming, athletes with visual impairments are classified into the S11, S12, and S13 categories, with S11 being the most severe, commonly referred to as those who have a very low visual acuity or no light perception.

"I achieved my personal best in the final! Compared to previous international competitions, I'm more excited to compete in Zhejiang, my hometown," said Hua, "I hope I do well in the upcoming competitions."

After Hua claimed his first gold, Chen clinched the second gold medal for Ningbo athletes in the Women's 50m Freestyle S10 event with an impressive time of 27.76 seconds, breaking the Asian record.

In the preliminaries held on the morning of Oct 23, Chen secured the top spot with a time of 28.15 seconds, breaking the Asian Para Games record.

Chen Yi, a swimmer from Ningbo, competes in the Women's 50m Freestyle S10 competition of the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou on Oct 23. [Photo by Tang Yan for Ningbo Daily]